This invention relates to a safety system for vehicles. More particularly, it relates to an improved and simplified anti-nose-dive, anti-sway and anti-rocking safety system for vehicles.
Today, there is an increased awareness of the need for safer vehicles and, in particular, those used as passenger cars, so as to reduce the incidence of occupant fatalities and injuries resulting from front end and rear end collisions. This has led to the development of improved bumper systems which are designed to absorb the force of impact of a car traveling at speeds of up to 2.5 m.p.h., without damage to the car's body.
This has also led to the development of air-bags which, located only in the front seat compartment, are designed to inflate upon impact of a collision, to prevent the driver and front seat passenger from being thrown forward against the windshield of the car, typically as a result of the front end of the car dipping upon impact. Impact absorbing steering wheels and padded dashboards have also been incorporated into new car models to further reduce the risk of injury during a collision.
While safety devices of this type have been found acceptable for vehicles travelling at relatively slow speeds, there has been general concern about their effectiveness at normal cruising speeds. Moreover, while these safety devices serve to minimize the adverse effects of the car nose-diving upon impact, none directly address this serious problem, a built-in hazard resulting from the design of the vehicle's chassis suspension systems.
An anti-nose-dive system which dealt directly with this problem is disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,735, granted Mar. 13, 1979. This patent discloses a system which, upon impact of a collision, arrests the front end suspension system in a relatively rigid state and jacks up the front end of the car by means of a gear assembly, so as to prevent the car from nose-diving.